Barclay Goodrow

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said after his team’s 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday that forward Tommy Wingels will probably be “out for a little while” after he slid hard into the boards close to the San Jose bench early in the first period.

DeBoer said the team will have an update Friday when the Sharks continue their road trip in Carolina against the Hurricanes. Wingels did make the trip with the team to Raleigh.

It took a little more time than expected, but Roy Sommer became the winningest coach in AHL history on Wednesday night as the Barracuda beat the Ontario Reign 4-2 at SAP Center.

The Sharks that played for Sommer couldn’t be happier for him.

“Awesome. He such a good guy,” said Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson, who spent parts of four seasons playing for Sommer in Worcester. “It took him a little bit to get it, but I’m happy for him and happy for his guys.”

Smith has come off injured reserve as the Sharks announced Sunday morning that Barclay Goodrow was reassigned to the Barracuda. The Sharks play the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night at the United Center, their fourth game on their five-game road trip that concludes Tuesday in Los Angeles.

He needed only about 15 seconds to make a noticeable impact – and earn some kudos from teammates and coach Pete DeBoer – in what became the Sharks’ 11th road victory of the season.

With the Sharks getting outplayed by the Canadiens for a good portion of the first period, Goodrow, a few seconds into his fifth shift, crushed Montreal star defenseman P.K. Subban into the boards with 3:29 left to the right of goalie Habs goalie Dustin Tokarski.

The Sharks recalled forwards Ben Smith and Barclay Goodrow from the Barracuda on Tuesday.

Smith was on loan from the Sharks on a conditioning assignment after he missed 19 consecutive games dealing with concussion symptoms. He remains on injured reserve

Goodrow was sent down by the Sharks on Nov. 3 after he had three assists in 12 games. With the Barracuda, he had 11 points, including eight goals, in 15 AHL games. He was the AHL’s player of the week ending Dec. 6, as he had four goals and three assists in two games that week.

The Sharks’ third and fourth lines aren’t expected to fill the scoresheet every night. But they are expected to contribute in some fashion so the Sharks can play the type of pressure game it wants.

You can’t roll four lines if only the top two are going.

Including Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Sharks’ bottom six forwards have combined for four points in the last four games. Matt Nieto leads the way with two points, Tommy Wingels and Barclay Goodrow each have one, and Chris Tierney, Mike Brown, Bryan Lerg and Ben Smith each have zero.

“I’ve had no problem with our top six. I thought both those lines have showed up,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said after the loss. “They might not get on the board every night, but both of them are pushing the pace. They spent quality shifts in the other team’s end even if they’re not scoring.

The Sharks reiterated Tuesday that they will not be overlooking the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at SAP Center.

The Blue Jackets have won just two of their first 12 games and 30th in the 30-team NHL with four points. But the Sharks say they’re just as desperate, as they aim to keep pace in a deep Western Conference.

“We’re 6-5. We have to go, we have to win some games and put a streak together,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said. “We realize that they’re a desperate team, but so are we so it should be a good game.”

The Sharks will be as healthy as they’ve been in almost two weeks when they face the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.

Forwards Ben Smith and Joonas Donskoi will both be in the lineup for the Sharks as they wrap up a three-game homestand against the Predators (6-1-1) at SAP Center.

Donskoi has missed the last five games with a lower body injury. He blocked a shot in the Sharks’ game against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 10, played the following game Oct. 13 against the Washington Capitals but hasn’t dressed since.

Defenseman Paul Martin remains out with a lower body injury as the banged up Sharks face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night to close out a four-game road trip.

DeBoer said Martin was feeling better Monday, but is not ready to go and is considered day-to-day. The Sharks’ defensive pairs Monday night will be the same as they were during Saturday’s loss to the New York Islanders.

Bryan Lerg was called up from the Barracuda on Monday and will be the Sharks’ fourth line center, as Ben Smith suffered a deep cut in his right ear against the Islanders after he was hit by shot from Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Joonas Donskoi also remains out with a lower body injury as well, as the Sharks depth at forward continues to be tested.

“No one wishes for injuries. You want a healthy lineup, but it is testing our depth and it is a good opportunity for some guys,” DeBoer said. “I’m confident we’ve got some guys that are ready to step into these slots and get the job done.”

Lerg, 29, was one of the few feel good stories for the Sharks late last season. In his eighth year as a professional, Lerg was called up and played his first NHL game on April 4, scoring the winning goal in San Jose’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He also played in the Sharks’ season finale against the Los Angeles Kings.

Lerg will play between Mike Brown and Barclay Goodrow, as he’s the third centerman to play on that line since the start of the year.

“I kind of waited a long time to get that first game,” Lerg said. “I’m ready to go, show that I’m ready to play in the NHL. I have to do it at a consistent level now, so playing with Brownie and Goody, its meat and potatoes for all of us. Put it in deep, get on the puck, get after it and bang some bodies.”

DeBoer said he thought Lerg had a good camp, but Lerg was among nine players sent down Sept. 28. Lerg played in another exhibition game Oct. 3 against the Ducks, and was sent to the Barracuda once again.

Lerg, though, felt that if played well with the Barracuda, he would be one of the first guys called up if there were injuries on the Sharks. Sure enough, Nikolay Goldobin was recalled after Donskoi got hurt, and Lerg was brought up when Smith was injured.

DeBoer said Lerg’s style of play reminded him of a former player of his in New Jersey, Stephen Gionta.

“Real versatile, plays with a lot of heart,” DeBoer said. “Plays the right way and can do a lot of different things on the ice.”

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Nikolay Goldobin will get his second regular season start on the Sharks’ top line with Joe Pavleski and Joe Thornton. Goldobin scored his first NHL goal in the second period of Saturday’s game against the Islanders after he took a deft pass from Thornton close to the New York net.

Goldobin said his mom was watching the game in Moscow, where it was 4 a.m.

“It’s way harder than exhibition games. But I tried to do my best and they helped me a lot,” Goldobin said of his linemates. “I’m happy that I’m playing with them.”

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DeBoer is expecting the Sharks to be a little better defensively than they were against the Islanders.

“We’ve got to tighten things up a little bit from the last game in our own end,” DeBoer said. “If you score three goals on the road, you should be getting points. That’s got to be our mindset.”